The Team
- Sarah FarmerFashion DesignerSarah FarmerFashion Designer
Sarah Farmer presents Made with Passion, a small collection of pieces set to supercharge your wardrobe and take you on a journey in style. Following a training in design and pattern cutting Sarah is now celebrating 25 years since she first set up her own label. She has re launched as Made with Passion, celebrating a new chapter which started unexpectedly when her daughter Georgie’s urgent need for nightclubbing tops saw her return to her metier and from there back to the fashion world with renewed direction. The designer’s personal odyssey has seen her travel far and wide for inspiration, beautiful materials and technical expertise. Her vision is to create a distinctive look for a discerning woman, always seeking to channel the joie de vivre of clothes which make you feel good.
Based in her studio in iconic Chelsea, Sarah riffs on a kaleidoscope of influence to craft uniquely wearable garments. Bold colour sense and body con designs have a flamboyance which recalls the heyday of 70’s glamour so much associated with the Kings Road nearby. A floaty chiffon maxi dress pays homage to an evening gown from her mother’s wardrobe and epitomises easy to wear glamour in apple or aquamarine. This romantic, nostalgic thread in the DNA of Made in Passion can be traced back to her roots, growing up on a farm in Cheshire, surrounded by the buzz of Clonter Opera Theatre, the pioneering musical performance company set up by her parents; a uniquely creative setting for a childhood surrounded not just by green fields but a sense of the magic of theatre and plunder of the dressing up box. Gently flared, very wearable cuff trousers have highwayman swagger to stand and deliver any time.
Sarah has always loved spending time at the V&A, a habit formed long ago when she came to London as a teenager. The costume designs of Leon Bakst for the Ballets Russes have been a powerful influence in the making of richly coloured clothes that move beautifully with the body. Other more contemporary echoes of dance dazzle in emerald tasselled flamenco trousers and a lace halter dress in red, black or white. Circus elements scintillate in yellow satin short and top and the ambience of Moulin Rouge is brought up to date in a Parisian satin green two piece with turquoise lace. Her chrome eyelet trouser celebrates the stagey drama of rock and pop superstars, a shift in reference to the 80’s style of legends like Tina Turner and Freddie Mercury.
Journeys to India and China have brought new sources of inspiration. Collaborating with the designer Jess Jia Wang, a true Made with Passion statement blouse deploys the fan shape of Chinese armour, transforming the motif into something feminine and elegantly simple and strong. Men’s military attire is an enduring theme which expresses perfectly the ethos of empowerment at the heart of each piece.
Gold cuffed Palazzo pants are another staple, resonating with an East meets West Venetian vibe.
These are clothes for a woman who loves culture and is energised by a simple but effective garment which can be thrown on and create a presence.
The mood can be ramped up or played down; for sassy insouciance, check out the puff sleeve blouse with low slung belt and gold fringed trousers for going somewhere or anywhere. Beyond the party season, Made with Passion beachwear and cruise collection is trailblazing the exotic with blazing shades of shocking pink, hot chilli pepper and lime green, bobble hemmed halter tops in double chiffons and satins to wear with diaphanous wrap trousers for the ultimate holiday wardrobe. Clothes to conjure with and take you places, Made with Passion.
- Eleanor WdowskiCostume designerEleanor WdowskiCostume designer
Eleanor Wdowski is a set and costume designer based in Somerset. She is passionate about making theatre accessible to a wider audience and has long been involved in delivering creative workshops to schools and communities, combining her love of literature, performance, art and music.
Theatre design credits include La Boheme (Iford Arts), Paws and Padlocks (Blackheath Halls), La Traviata (Clonter Opera), Jack and the Beanstalk, (William Whelton Productions) Mignon (New Sussex Opera), Our House (Union Theatre), Cinderella (William Whelton Productions), Y&P and Whispering Theatre (DYSPLA festival, Camden People’s Theatre), A Dream Across The Ocean (Churchboyz), Hamlet, A Woman of No Importance and The Cherry Orchard (Galleon Theatre Company, Greenwich Playhouse), Hansel and Gretel and Così fan tutte (Clonter Opera), Story of a Mother (Battersea Arts Centre), Guts for Garters (The Rest is Noise), La Prima Donna (Latitude Festival) and Lift and Separate (V&A Museum).
Eleanor has recently collaborated with ‘The Rubbish Art Project’, a recycled art initiative bringing together local communities, artists and businesses to affect social change. Her headdresses were featured as part of their ‘Sheptopia’ event launch. She has also built and helped deliver a ‘Tree of Life’ community workshop solely from abandoned and donated materials. Continuing this practice of sustainability has become increasingly important to her as an artist.
- Ella ArmstrongElla Armstrong
- Georgina FarmerGeorgina Farmer
